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Long Term Evolution (LTE), is a set of enhancements
introduced in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project’s (3GPP)
Release 8. With the assumption of a full IP network architecture, LTE is
designed to achieve peak performance levels in larger channel bandwidths. This
means that voice, data and streamed multimedia will be provided anytime,
anywhere at much higher data rates. LTE will coexist with 2G and 3G systems using
devices built to operate effectively across all channels.
It has long been a wireless industry goal to develop a true
worldwide cellular standard. A historical divide can be bridged with the development
and adoption of LTE as operators
historically using GSM, CDMA, TDMA and other technologies all making long term
commitments to invest in LTE network development.
LTE products have already been trialed, tested and
commercially released as part of an evolution to the LTE eco-system. Forecasters
predict that 5 years from now, LTE users across the world will hit 326 million.
With another forecast putting the LTE Equipment market at $8 billion by 2015,
rates of 81 percent growth are predicted annually.
The first commercial services were launched in 2009 as a
natural evolution of several 2G and 3G systems. Long Term Evolution (LTE) is
often marketed as 4G, however it isn’t fully compatible with Advanced 4G
requirements. LTE Advanced is a mobile communication standard submitted to the
International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in 2009.
LTE Capabilities include:
- Downlink peak data rates up to 326 Mbps
with 20 MHz bandwidth
- Uplink peak data rates up to 86.4 Mbps
with 20 MHz bandwidth
- Operation in both Time Division Duplex
(TDD) and Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) modes
- Scalable bandwidth up to 20 MHz
- Reduced latency
- Backward compatibility of LTE-Advanced with LTE
The main
advantages with LTE are high throughput, low latency and the ability to plug
and play. Additional advantages of LTE include an improved end-user experience
and a simple architecture resulting in low operating costs. The combination of LTE’s increased spectral
efficiency, added capacity and simple network architecture offer a very cost
effective value proposition for both consumers and carriers.
The overall
objective for LTE is to provide an extremely high performance radio-access technology
that offers full vehicular speed mobility and coexists with earlier networks.
Because of scalable bandwidth, operators will be able to easily migrate their
networks over time.
While carriers are scrambling to meet deadlines related to
launching LTE globally, rural areas continue fighting to get coverage at 2G and
3G levels. With LTE’s ability to operate on an all IP infrastructure, rural
areas no longer need to be wired to have access to coverage. This will allow countries
with no existing infrastructure to leap frog the step of building out and
provide LTE access to their customers using readily available internet signals.
http://www.4gamericas.org
http://www2.nortel.com/go/solution
http://www.goinglte.com
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter
http://www.gigaom.com/2008/02/22
http://www.technologizer.com/2009/05/20
http://www.arstechnica.com/telecom/news | 
